Should the United States "Annex" Canada?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TwelveInchPrius @ May 30 2006, 08:26 PM) [snapback]263120[/snapback]</div>

Well, it sure would help with all the illegal American immigrants going to Canada and the fence building (see other thread on FHOP) and all seniors would be able to buy their drugs legally!!!! Eh?

 

Great minds think alike. See "U.S. Annexes Canada...", posted three minutes after this.

 

Would it not be several "states" and I would guess that they have a word in all this. I would love to hear from anyone on how the "average" person in Quebec would feel about this. I would not like to start up the French and Indian War again. Glad I don't live in the Hudson Valley.

 

Only one extra state? Boy you don't think too highly of Canada do you.

If sovereigntist Quebecers (and other Canadians ) have their way, such a scenario may come to fruition. Of course, all former Canadian Provinces would be welcome into the US fold, except Quebec. :lol:

Hummmmmm, 62 States?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ May 30 2006, 09:49 PM) [snapback]263136[/snapback]</div>

LOL.. I grew up in Quebec. Those helicopters flew over my house from months during the crisis.

What makes you think that Canadians aren't already annexing the states up? 3 new territories! We've been at it for years, what with all our newscasters, comedians, actors, doctors, porn stars....

Dave

 

we almost did...

although Canadians will never admit this, it's no coincidence Canada "officially" unified just after the US Civil War...

h34r:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveSheremata @ May 30 2006, 10:01 PM) [snapback]263147[/snapback]</div>

Porn stars?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TwelveInchPrius @ May 30 2006, 09:26 PM) [snapback]263120[/snapback]</div>

Bad idea. We already have it right just taking their highly educated and ambitious citizens - no need for the others that would probably be more of a drain on our system.

And, would that mean that we would now be hearing:

For English press 1 or stay on the line,
For spanish hablo numero 2
For french press the top right hand button with DEF on it

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ May 30 2006, 09:04 PM) [snapback]263152[/snapback]</div>

Yup, Canada was pre-approved to be a state under the Articles of Federation. (That is the "constitution" before The U.S. Constitution.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jfschultz @ May 31 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]263476[/snapback]</div>

This thread by "3 inch Penis" is getting pretty shop-worn. This is no way to win the hearts and minds of Canadians, or of anyone else in the 190 countries of the world besides the U.S. Or do you want to take over the entire world?

 

I remember reading once, and I don't recall if it is true or just urban legend (fshagen, ever hear of this?) that the U.S. invited the Canadian provinces to join the U.S. shortly after the revolutionary war. Canada never actually responded to the invitation, and the matter was assumed to be dropped, but the invitation was never officially withdrawn. Squid, was this in the articles of federation, and can you point out the actual text for us?

So, jump forward to present day... if the invitation was presented and never withdrawn, could Canada just belatedly accept the offer and join the union today? I'm assuming they would come over with whatever rights are already reserved for existing states - at least one congressman (based on population) and two senators for each province.

Assuming each province and terrority became a state, this would create 13 new states, and would create jobs for 26 new senators, all of which would probably be appointed by the governor of each new state (and then elected the way we do it from then on). New house members would be appointed too, but the number of them is a bit trickier. The population of the United States is approximately 295,734,134, and the population of Canada is approximately 32,805,041. This puts the population of Canada at around 11% of the U.S. population. The Apportionment Act of 1911 sets the number of congressional representatives in the house at 435, to be divided among the existing states based on population. If Canada joined, approximately 46 of those seats would be transitioned to Canada, and 46 house members would be out of their jobs. If this occurs, you can pretty much bet there would be a bill adding 46 new seats to the house... the current ones want to protect their jobs!

Having 26 new senators join the senate certainly impacts the current political landscape in a pretty serious way, especially if those senators are Canadian (where most of the conservatives are pretty liberal). 46 new house representatives wouldn't have quite as significant an impact, but would still be noticed.

Strategically, why would the U.S. want Canada? Well, for one, Canada has clean water. I have a friend from Toronto that told me once that the next world war will be fought over clean water... she may be right. Canada also has timber, and frankly, they have better beer. Why would Canada want to join the U.S.? That's a harder question. Frankly, I can't think of a lot of compelling reasons, other than eliminating restrictions on trade.

What would the flag look like? I'm thinking that we'd just add 13 red maple leaf symbols to the field of blue with the existing 50 fifty white stars. Anyone else care to speculate?

Dan

 

Did a bit of research. Article eleven of the "Articles of Confederation" specifically invite Canada to joint the union without any sort of state approval. All other countries/territories wishing to join may only do so with the approval of nine states (out of the original 13). I'm sure the process for new countries/territories wishing to join the union has changed, but Canada appears to be 'grandfathered' by this document.

You can read the article at USConstitution.net

Oh, and interestingly enough, if you search for "Articles of Federation" on Wikipedia, it brings up the articles which created the "United Federation of Planets" in the fictional Star Trek series. I'll bet more people know that history that the actual history of the articles which formed the United States!

Live long and prosper.

Dan

 

Can we annex their healthcare?

 

Oh no. Don't annex Canada. I wanna move there once I retire. Don't want to stay in the land of free when nothing's free: I have to work to earn money, can't find a public nude beach, can't legally get cuban cigar, can't get a president with a brain, can't be politically incorrect, can't do this, can't do that.

Annex Mexico and central america instead, may be south america too. That will solve illegal immigration problems. And if US wanna control the drug problem, they can kill the plants in south america like loggers do to the forests in the west coast.

 

"Article XI. Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States."

Amazing. I learned something new from priuschat today. Thank you.

By the way, you notice that Canadians didn't take up that offer in the 18th century. Notice too, that they had a few objections when an "offer they couldn't refuse" was made in 1812.

 

I'm not going to dignify this thread with a response.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jared2 @ May 31 2006, 03:27 PM) [snapback]263539[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, I couldn't think of any reasons that Canada would want to join either. Although, if one presumes that Canada is more liberal than the U.S., and one presumes that Canada would place fairly liberal politicians into our house and senate, Canada could effectively influence (significantly alter) U.S. foreign policy. Don't like the war in Iraq? Just join the United States and remove the president's power to engage in war... 26 new senators would be more than enough to sway that balance! Interestingly enough, if Canada were to automatically join, the U.S. House and Senate really wouldn't be able to stop it. A foreign government would essentially be allowed to 'take over' the U.S. government legally and quickly.

This could work against a very liberal U.S. government, too, by the way. I know these are long shots, but it is interesting to consider, eh?

Dan

(and yes, the above "eh?" was added intentionally!)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(danoday @ May 31 2006, 04:05 PM) [snapback]263561[/snapback]</div>

Let me assure you that in the 40 years I lived in Canada I never heard anyone express the slightest interest in joining the US. Canadians watch hollywood movies, HBO, even baseball, and are fully conversant in all things American. But join the US? You're kidding, eh?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas @ May 30 2006, 06:48 PM) [snapback]263135[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ May 30 2006, 06:49 PM) [snapback]263136[/snapback]</div>

I am an ex-Vermonter and no one wants Quebec they just know they can't let them play by themselves. Besides having everything in Spanish and Asian languages, we will have to add the French. They actually pay people there to run around and make sure that the store signs have the French lettering larger than the English.

Have not been in all of Canada but I really like what I have seen of PEI, Nova Scotia and BC.